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Groutable vinyl tile is designed to give the appearance of ceramic tile, but is thinner, much lighter, easier to install and less expensive than most ceramic tiles. Additionally, groutable vinyl tile can be installed anywhere a standard vinyl floor can be installed, particularly over a plywood subfloor without the need for concrete backer board or a concrete slab that ceramic tile would require. You can install groutable vinyl tile in a few hours and apply grout right away, another advantage over ceramic tile.

1

Scrape any old adhesive or other material from the subfloor with a 3-inch putty knife to ensure a clean, flat surface for laying the vinyl floor.

2

Lay out the first row without adhering the tile to the floor, beginning in one corner of the floor. Once you're satisfied with how the tile will fit against the edge of the wall, remove the paper from the back of the first tile and stick the adhesive side of the tile to the floor.

3

Insert spacers along the edge of the tile and install a second tile adjacent to the first. Continue adding spacers and tile until you reach the end of the first row. Cut the last piece of tile to fit using a utility knife. Use a straightedge as a guide. Remove the paper backer and install the last tile in the first row.

4

Insert spacers along the edge of the first row, and install the second row of tiles adjacent to the first. Continue spacing and adding tiles until the room is fully tiled. Remove all of the spacers, then roll the entire floor with a floor roller to ensure that each tile is fully adhered to the subfloor.

5

Open a bucket of premixed vinyl flooring grout. Fill the grout lines with a grout float, pressing the grout into the grout lines to fill the spaces completely. Wipe away any excess with the edge of the grout float.

6

Fill a 5-gallon bucket with water and wipe away the excess grout from the tiles with a clean sponge as per the instructions on the vinyl grout container.

7

Wipe away any haze left on the tiles by the grout with a dry towel.

Things You Will Need

3-inch putty knife

Groutable vinyl tile

Tile spacers

Straightedge

Utility knife

Floor roller

Vinyl floor grout

Grout float

Sponge

5-gallon bucket

Towel

Tips

Floor rollers can typically be rented from a local tool rental shop.

Not all vinyl tile is conducive to grouting. If you intend to grout your vinyl tile floor, purchase tile specifically designed for grouted edges.

Groutable vinyl tile requires a flat subfloor. If you intend to grout over another type of flooring or an uneven floor, you will want to level the floor with a self-leveling compound to smooth any imperfections in the subfloor that could become visible through the vinyl tile after installation.

About the Author

Chris Baylor has been writing about various topics, focusing primarily on woodworking, since 2006. You can see his work in publications such as "Consumer's Digest," where he wrote the 2009 Best Buys for Power Tools and the 2013 Best Buys for Pressure Washers.